Win a free Nintendo 3DS XL in our sweepstakes

Our US readers have a chance to win a 3DS XL and New Super Mario Bros. 2.

When Nintendo decided to increase the size of the 3DS, it meant business. If you read the Ars Technica review, you’ll know that the 3DS XL’s new larger screen and ergonomic feel makes it the preferred way to experience 3DS games and apps. And if you’re coveting one of these new handhelds, we have you covered.

Ars Technica is giving away one Nintendo 3DS XL along with a copy of New Super Mario Bros. 2 to one lucky person.

Though we would like to open up this sweepstakes to all Ars Technica readers, you must be at least 18 years old and a resident of the 50 United States and District of Columbia to participate this time around.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Click here for full rules. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Nintendo.

How to enter

Here’s all you need to do to have a chance to win the 3DS XL: simply share your love for handheld game systems with us by commenting on this post.

If there’s vintage hardware that you still love to play, tell us what games you play on it. You can even post a picture of yourself with your game system (though posting a picture is not required to win). And if you don't have a handheld game system yet? No worries, just tell us how much you dig gaming in general. The key thing to remember is that by entering a comment on this post, you can enter to win. Also, don't forget that Ars Technica subscribers are automatically included in the sweepstakes. And again, winners must live in the continental US.

The sweepstakes begins Wednesday, August 22 at 9am CT, and closes Friday, August 25 at 9pm CT.

1483 Reader Comments

I was kinda waiting until they just built a second circle pad into the device (instead of the ridiculous Circle Pad Pro addon), but there are definitely games I'd love to play on it right now.

I remember my original Game Boy. That thing was huge and AWESOME. I wish I hadn't traded it in; I had so much fun playing Tetris and Donkey Kong Land. DKL was hard to see on the original greyscale screen, though. The Game Boy Color really helped in that regard.

The only reason I bought my DS in the first place was to play The World Ends with You. Seriously. If I hadn't checked gaming reviews that week, it may have forever slipped under my radar, but the amount of incredible reviews it received (and watching some videos youtube) finally pressured me to get the game and console. Best decision of my life.

Now, Square Enix is teasing something else involving TWEWY universe. We'll find out what it is in 5 days, and if it's going to be a new game on the 3DS, I'm going to buy the 3DS, whether I win the sweepstakes or not. Winning would just be icing on the cake.

Awesome! I've got a lot of retro consoles that I've saved from my youth. Some of my favorites are Superman & Adventure for the Atari 2600, Haunting featuring Polterguy & Star Trek TNG for Sega Genesis, Super Ghouls & Ghosts for SNES, Roger Rabbit & Super Mario bros. 1-3 for NES, Sherlock Holmes for the Sega CD, Luigi's Mansion for GameCube (is the GameCube considered Retro?) and of course... Goldeneye for the N64... just to name a few. I also love Infected for the PSP & Spongebob Drawn To life for DSi. I have a PS3 and an xbox 360, but I always take a step into my past with some retro gaming!!! I think my favorite game... even though it's far from perfect... would be Ghostbusters on the Xb360 & PS3! It holds a special place in my heart. lol I love it!

My family used to take LONG car trips when I was a young lad - a lot of time on that old original gameboy. Still works! Might have to crack that out tonight when I get home and go sit in the back of my car.

Count me in! I'd love to have an opportunity of owning a 3DS XL. I remember taking road trips with my gameboy when I was little. Eventually I went "mobile crazy" and ended up getting one of those small LCD screens that plug onto the top of your PS2 so you could play games in the car with a power converter. This would be an awesome addition to the gaming hardware I currently have.

When I was in elementary school, my mom changed careers and had to use a typewriter at work. She used Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, and I learned how to type when I was six. We also used to have Rodent's Revenge high score challenges between the two of us.

I was simply going to mention the fact that I had a Game Gear back in the day and enjoyed playing Ax Battler (not really a substitute for Golden Axe, but it was alright), Sonic 2, and Crystal Warriors, but I then recalled that the iPhone is a mobile gaming platform, as well. The only downside to playing games on my iPhone is that I need to consider carefully just how much battery life I spend playing games.

Owned a handheld game system all the way back to Mattel Football (which is still awesome). Do not own a 3DS in any capacity but this would be fantastic. Definitely beats the old days of the original Game Boy with needing the magnifying glass and a light. We've come a long way!

As far as I'm concerned, no handheld platform (hell, no computer platform) is legit until it has a version of the Z-machine on it for playing text adventures. Loved playing old Infocom games and new independent interactive fiction on a series of Palm devices, and on the iPod Touch that replaced them as a PDA.

I enjoyed the hell out of Golden Abyss on my Vita, but it's clearly a hobbled platform if it can't play Leather Goddesses of Phobos.

I've been gaming since I was a little geekling. I was started out early with an old Colecovision with the Atari 2600 adapter (still have both systems, games, and they both work!, just can't connect it to any of my TVs anymore). Then I moved on to my first PC, the Tandy 1000. I used that forever, but then the new experience hit. The NES. I love my Colecovison (I wish I could still use it), but the NES still sits as top dog in my heart. Then, the amazing thing happened... Nintendo released the Gameboy. I of course got one almost immediately (still have it too.). Then of course came my Super NES, my N64, my Gamecube, my Wii, my Gameboy color, my Gameboy Advance, and my Gameboy Advance SP. I still have each and every Nintendo system I've ever owned. I guess you could call me a fanboy, but I just enjoy their games and systems (including the N64 and Gamecube which no one seems to like). I can't wait for the WiiU release later on this year and have already started saving up to get one.

Unfortunately, even though I very much want to get the 3DS XL, I cannot afford it, maybe someday though.

Of course, yesterday's article about the Nintendo Power being discontinued cause me to dig out some of my old editions from when I was younger and remember the joy of getting a new issue and reading through it. I'm going to miss Nintendo Power (even though I haven't gotten a single issue in years). I wonder if I could just purchase a copy of the last issue when it comes out...

Every Wednesday, I get together with a group of co-workers and we play Mario Kart over the lunch hour. Behind the closed door of the meeting room, shells are thrown and bananas cause spin-outs as cheers and jeers erupt from our mouths.

We try other multi-player games, but we always seem to return to the excitement that is Mario Kart.

Among my strongest memories is playing the first Mario game for the Gameboy on a move/plane ride from Germany to Colorado, and finally beating it. Since I had many hours to go, I just went ahead and started the New Game + option that presented itself. Among the few times I've actually done that.

I'd first played a GameBoy when I was watching the neighbor's kids. They had gotten one shortly after it had come out, and it was much better than the Tiger handheld games I'd had. After putting the kids to bed, I'd spend the rest of the evening downstairs, playing Super Mario Land or Castlevania Adventure until their parents got home.

It wasn't until much later that I finally got my own handheld system. Working in a call center where I could resolve most issues without looking at my screen, I decided to pick up a GameBoy Color during my lunch break. Grabbing that, Link's Awakening, Dragon Warrior I & II, and a few accessories, I was set and I now had something to help the time pass during downtimes at work.

When the GameBoy Advance came out, I was ready. I traded in the Game Boy Color and the accessories, got a few GBA games and accessories for the system and was hit with a bit of nostalgia as I felt like I had a portable SNES in my hands. As later games were released, that original thought was supported even further with remakes of Final Fantasy IV and VI.

And it continued forth. The GBA was traded in for the GBA:SP. The SP was saved, primarily for the ability to use it with some GCN games, and the DS Fat was bought. I've considered upgrading the DS to a DSi or DSi XL, but can't really justify the cost, primarily because of the 3DS.

And if I do in fact in the 3DS XL? I guess I won't have to worry about upgrading the system.

I loved the original Game Boy, which I kept for nearly 20 years before it found its way to the dumpster (courtesy of my mother not knowing any better). My game of choice was Qix, who's main antagonist, a whirling dervish of lines, haunted my dreams with its creepy buzzing noise.

I'm not ashamed to say that my friends and I busted out our Game Boys and Game Boy Colors to play some Pokemon Red and Blue (the best!) earlier this year. Sure, we're in our mid-twenties, and those games came out when we were still in grade school... Still love 'em.

A couple coworkers recently bought me a 3DS as gift! (Previously I just had my trusty matte black DSi.) However, they thought they were particular hilarious and gifted me a metallic pink model (although they did keep the receipt in case I wanted to return it, which I didn't because I thought it would funnier to keep it). Although it's been fun, I have been looking a little wistfully at the new 3DS XL, as the larger screens and other minor improvements would be a nice step up (even if I have to give up the attractive metallic pink shell).

Cesar Torres / Cesar is the Social Editor at Ars Technica. His areas of expertise are in online communities, human-computer interaction, usability, and e-reader technology. Cesar lives in New York City.